


redtail's secret

by mitmatt



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Deadnaming (RIP), LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Multi, Original Clans (Warriors), ThunderClan (Warriors), Trans Male Character, brokentail exists I guess, this is kinda old
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 03:35:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20789963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitmatt/pseuds/mitmatt
Summary: Redpaw feels alone. He has felt alone for most of his life- nobody knows who he truly is besides his sister, Spottedpaw. Swallowing one's identity is hard enough, but when it comes to a special prophecy from StarClan, as well as hidden turmoil both within and outside of ThunderClan borders, he has a lot to discover about both himself and others.Trans Redtail AU- Several other things will change as well- including some pairings and major events within the books.TW for transphobia, gore, and unintentional deadnaming.I don't own Warrior Cats.





	1. the shadowclanner

**Author's Note:**

> I'm the OG creator, I just also posted this on wattpad and somewhere else I can't remember lmao

Birds were chirping, the sky was becoming brighter, and Redpaw couldn’t  _ wait  _ to get out of the clan. Maybe by himself, if Sparrowpelt let him. After all, he was getting better and better at his training. Just the other day, he had bested Willowpaw- which wasn’t really that big of a deal. Willowpaw was a klutz, after all. But his battle with Brindlepaw- that was another story. Brindlepaw and Frostpaw were right about to become warriors- and he had somehow managed to get Brindlepaw pinned, grinning ecstatically.

The memory made a tiny smile sneak its way onto Redpaw’s face as he pushed himself out of his nest, blinking blearily as he arched his back and let out a long yawn. He slipped out of the den wordlessly, glancing back at his sister, Willowpaw, who was still sleeping away.

“Oh, Russetpaw! You’re awake!” He heard a voice exclaim behind him. He winced a little- StarClan, it was  _ Redpaw _ , not… that. Of course, his mentor couldn’t help it. He didn’t know. He took a deep breath, correcting his mentor mentally before turning with a smile. 

“Yeah, good morning, Sparrowpelt.” He replied, his tail waving. He’d have to say something eventually, but right now, he was focused on training.

“How about we get some training done soon? Go get some fresh-kill first, we don’t want you patrolling on an empty stomach.” Sparrowpelt smiled. Redpaw dipped his head in response, trotting over to the fresh-kill pile as quickly as he could and flopping down onto his stomach, reaching out and hooking a mouse with an outstretched claw, yanking it towards himself. Without a moment of hesitation, the tom dug in. He was starving- and with good reason. He had completely forgotten to eat last night. Oops.

“Hey, Russetpaw!” A familiar voice chirped. He disregarded the name, but responded to it nonetheless, turning around. Oh, Runningpaw and Mousepaw. He grinned at his closest friends as the duo padded over, Runningpaw sitting next to him as Mousepaw flopped down sloppily onto her stomach, grinning at Redpaw. The tortoiseshell tom smiled back, his tail waving in greeting.

“Soooo, Red, what’re you up to?” Mousepaw asked, lifting a paw and playfully batting the tom’s ear. He felt his heart swell at the nickname- something Runningpaw had come up with after his red tail. It meant enough to him that he took it as his own name… After all, the duo were his closest friends.

“Ah… Not much. Just eating.” He meowed, smiling at the two. “You want any?” He nudged the mouse over so that Runningpaw or Mousepaw could take a nibble if they wanted to. Redpaw let out a long yawn as he stretched one of his forelegs, glancing over at the two. Runningpaw was now nibbling on Redpaw’s mouse, and Mousepaw had rolled onto her back.

After a long silence, Mousepaw flopped onto her side, lifting her head to face Redpaw. Her tail twitched, and her mouth curled into a grin.

“Hey, do you want to go hunting with us?” Mousepaw asked, tipping her head. “Lionheart and Goldenflower are taking us out later. Maybe you can convince Sparrowpelt?” She asked, tipping her head.

Well, spending time with his friends sounded fun. He definitely wasn't opposed to it. After all, he hadn’t really had the time lately.  _ Might as well,  _ Redpaw thought.  _ Maybe I could tell them if I can get them away from our mentors? I don’t know, though, it’s… kinda hard to do that.  _ He thought, wracking his mind for a plan. He let out a tiny sigh. Well, he could always think about it later. Redpaw got to his paws, dipping his head to his closest friends. 

“Before we go, I’m going to talk to Spottedpaw. She might need us to pick an herb or two for her.” He meowed. Runningpaw and Mousepaw smiled, nodding before turning back to the mouse Redpaw had left behind.

Spottedpaw had always wanted to be a medicine cat, so it was unsurprising when she followed through with her promise. His sister was black, sunshine-orange mottling her back. Her chest, chin, and paws were white, as opposed to Redpaw’s half-white appearance. He made his way to the medicine den, padding into the den with ease. The den was rather large, stone covering the first half, a thicket surrounding the other half and letting spots of sunlight pour into the den. His sister was seated at the far end, sniffing at and sorting some of the wrinkled, sun-spotted leaves.

“Hey, Spottedpaw.” He meowed, flourishing his tail as he approached the she-cat. She lifted her head, smiling at him. “Hey, Redpaw.” She mewed in reply. She was the only one who knew so far- Nobody but her- which made him feel guilty. After all, Willowpaw was his sister, as well. The duo were very close as kits, and he had finally brought up the possibility of taking herbs to help him look more like a tom about a half-moon ago. Luckily, Spottedpaw had just the thing, and had been sneaking some sort of herbal concoction to him- he didn’t really recognize the individual herbs, but she had told him the names, ones that he had memorized well at this point. Ginger, nettle, horsetail, dandelion… Some were easier found than others- apparently Spottedpaw went all the way to the twolegplace for the ginger. Either way, he was satisfied with their combined effects, and thankful that Spottedpaw had taken so much time out of her day and training to help him with his predicament. His voice had begun to crack and lower a bit- something that made him excited.

“What’s going on?” She asked, tipping her head. She had put her leaves down, and was sitting up, stretching. He assumed she hadn’t been up for too long- it was typical that she sorted herbs as soon as she woke.

“Not much. Runningpaw, Mousepaw, and I are thinking of going on border patrol together with our mentors.” Redpaw sat, flicking his tail. “I just figured I’d ask if you needed us to pick any herbs.” He finished. Spottedpaw smiled, raising an eyebrow in a look of disbelief.

“Redpaw, I love you, but you  _ suck  _ at remembering herbs.” She meowed, letting out a chuckle. Redpaw stuck his tongue out in return. “Hey, I remember them perfectly fine.” He adjusted himself, puffing his chest out a bit. Spottedpaw shook her head, but smiled.

“Aaalright then. See this?” She asked, pushing forward a long-stemmed herb, tiny, five-petaled flowers clustered together at the top. He tipped his head, nodding. “This is called Geranium. It’s got a few lookalikes, but the main way to tell it apart is that it loves growing in bright areas. You can take the piece if you need it for reference.” He dipped his head, taking the herb in his jaws.

“Oh, one last thing- one of the larger clusters I know of grows near ShadowClan. There aren’t too many plants around the thunderpath, so it grows pretty well with the sunlight there.” Spottedpaw meowed after him. He glanced behind him, dipping his head before padding out.

Mousepaw and Runningpaw were waiting for him, their tails waving in anticipation. Redpaw padded up, the flowery, clustered stem in his jaws.

“So, Spottedpaw gave you something to collect?” Mousepaw asked, tipping her head. “I wonder how long it’ll take for you to completely forget.” She purred teasingly. Redpaw stuck his tongue out slightly between the stem and his lower jaw. Runningpaw nudged his sister, letting out a snort of annoyance. “StarClan, Mousepaw. I swear, your head and mouth are a whisker apart.” He sighed, shaking his head slowly. Mousepaw just gave a subtle smile, standing and flicking her tail as she padded towards the camp entrance.

“Well, I guess she’s gone, then.” Runningpaw muttered, glancing at Redpaw, who shrugged awkwardly. Runningpaw was large- much larger than Redpaw. Then again, he had always been on the small side of things. Runningpaw, though, was mostly leg. His pelt was a pale fawn color, and was striped with long tabby stripes, much like Sparrowpelt. It wasn’t overly surprising- White-eye’s pale pelt and Sparrowpelt’s dark, sharp stripes made Runningpaw’s fur. He didn’t really know  _ why  _ the tom was named Runningpaw- it seemed to be an odd name to him. But, it worked considering the tom’s physique.

“Yeah, I guess we should catch up to her.” Redpaw meowed, glancing at Runningpaw. The tom shrugged, padding ahead. Suddenly, the tom turned and smiled mischievously. “Hey, want to-” “If you even suggest racing, Runningpaw, I  _ swear _ …”

Goldenflower’s massive figure stood at the head of camp, Mousepaw standing expectantly beside her. The large golden she, slender and stunning in her appearance, turned and smiled at Redpaw and Runningpaw.  _ I wonder how she manages to look so regal,  _ Redpaw asked himself as the two came to a stop in front of the she.

“Oh, hello, you two!” She mewed, smiling. “Runningpaw, how about you get Sparrowpelt and Lionheart? I’ll talk to Mousepaw and Russetpaw about what we’ll be doing on the patrol.” Runningpaw dipped his head before pelting off, his tail waving excitedly behind him. Redpaw turned to Goldenflower, straightening himself a bit to appear larger.

“So, today will be a border patrol!” She chirped, smiling excitedly at Redpaw and Mousepaw. The two glanced at each other. “A’right.” Redpaw muttered around his herb. “Oh, Spottedpaw asked me to get this herb for er.” He meowed, holding the herb in his mouth a bit higher. “It’s… Geranium, I think.” Goldenflower nodded in response.

“Did she tell you where to get it?” Goldenflower asked. Redpaw dipped his head, sitting down and placing the herb in front of him so he would be able to talk easier.

“Yeah, it apparently grows well by the ShadowClan border.” He explained. She nodded slowly before smiling. “That’s a wonderful coincidence, then. We can patrol the ShadowClan border and get that herb while we’re at it.” He nodded in return, just as Runningpaw padded up with Lionheart and Sparrowpelt in tow.

“Ready for a day of training?” Lionheart asked, Mousepaw running up to her mentor. Redpaw glanced at Sparrowpelt, who smiled softly at him. “Yep!” He heard Mousepaw meow behind him. He nodded along with her exclamation.

“Okay then, let’s get going.” Lionheart nodded his head, flicking his tail as he beckoned the patrol to follow. Redpaw glanced back at the medicine den before he padded after the patrol- his mind had changed. He wished he could just stay there, instead- Spottedpaw was pretty good with letting him sort herbs if he was bored, and they often just talked, which was nice since the duo didn’t get to spend much time together anymore.

Redpaw glanced around the forest as they padded out through the bushy entrance, tail twitching as he did so. The sun was about halfway to sunhigh, and the sky was a pale newleaf blue.  _ I wonder what else Sparrowpelt wants me to learn, we’ve already covered a lot.  _ Redpaw was only about halfway through his apprenticeship at most- he was only 8 moons, and he had already learned quite a bit. It was hard to think that there would be anything more that the small tom needed to learn- was fighting  _ really  _ that necessary? He stared at the leafy treetops, thinking.

“Russetpaw?” He finally heard, lowering his head to see that they had arrived. “Finally joining us, I see?” Lionheart teased. He shrugged nonchalantly, feeling hot. He should have been paying attention- but his thoughts felt like they were more important at the moment. It felt like the patrol was a pebble compared to a boulder, and while he hated that feeling, he knew he had to be on said patrol. How had his mind completely changed its opinion of the patrol already? He felt antsy this morning, but now he’d do anything to get back to the medicine den to talk with Willowpaw and Spottedpaw.

“Alright, let’s mark the borders first. Then we can get to finding your herb, Russetpaw.” Goldenflower meowed. She glanced at Runningpaw, who brushed against Redpaw’s shoulder as he padded off. Redpaw turned to see his friend smiling back at him. “See you later, man.” He chirped, disappearing into the underbrush. Well, that made his heart beat a bit quicker. Mousepaw nodded to him in a ‘goodbye’ before she followed Lionheart alongside the thunderpath.

“Alright, well, we might as well get a bit of hunting done, too. Have you been practicing your crouch?” Sparrowpelt asked, tipping his head a little. Redpaw nodded. “Yes, sir.” He replied. Sparrowpelt gave him a glance, smiling.

“You don’t have to call me sir, Russetpaw. And that’s good to hear. Let’s see it.” He meowed. The tom dropped into the crouch, and Sparrowpelt nodded approvingly.

“Looks good. Just make sure you hold your tail still- you don’t want to brush anything with it while you stalk. Even a slight brush of a bush could scare prey away.” He explained. Redpaw dipped his head before adjusting his position.

“Alright, good. Now let’s see you hunt something. You lead, I want to see how well you hunt without help.” He explained. Redpaw had already done some hunting- He was fairly proud of himself. The tom managed to catch a small mouse on his first day- apparently a feat only topped by Bluefur. However, Sparrowpelt had been watching and giving him critique on his stance the entire time, which was helpful.

Redpaw dipped his head before ducking into the bushes, slowly moving through the leaves. He slipped through the bush smoothly as he breathed in the cool newleaf air. The tom stiffened as he scented a bird- Birds were his weak point- he wasn’t especially good at hunting them. But, he might as well give it a try. The calico moved into a small, flowery clearing, finally spotting the bird. Its fiery red feathers glistened in the sunlight. It was rather plump- unsurprising for mid-newleaf, but he was excited about it.

The tom slowly crept forwards, his tail as still as a stone as he moved lightly through the clearing, keeping himself low to the ground to avoid being spotted. Of course, it was somewhat hard, being such a rich mix of red, brown, and white. While that worked when he was in the shade of the trees, it was harder in the field. He could sense when the bird had spotted him, its beady eyes large in its head. It let out a chirp, alerting the others before beginning to flap.

Time seemed to slow, and the tom instinctively leapt, reaching as high as he could. He closed his eyes, his claws unsheathing. When two of his claws made contact with something, hooking it tightly, he yanked back as hard as he could. He heard a feeble chirp before the bird smacked against the packed dirt. He grinned… at least before he landed on his face.

Redpaw scrambled back to his paws, padding back over to the bird. It was still wiggling weakly.  _ Oh man, I didn’t mean for it to be in pain...  _ He thought, looking sadly at the cardinal before finishing it with a quick nip to the throat. He picked up his kill, a rush of pride running through him as Sparrowpelt approached from his spot in the bushes.

“Nice job, Redpaw. You’ve certainly improved.” He purred. “How about we bury that and get back to Goldenflower and Lionheart… We can hunt on the way. After all, our priority is border patrol.” Sparrowpelt grinned awkwardly.  _ Oh, so he got sidetracked again.  _ Redpaw thought, smiling slightly. His mentor could be pretty aloof.

Redpaw trailed after his mentor, who led him through the trees back to the spot where they had first arrived on the border. Runningpaw and Mousepaw were already there with their mentors, looking like they had been waiting a while.

“Late as always.” Lionheart quipped, giving a soft, teasing smile. Goldenflower nudged him, shaking her head. “Don’t be rude, Lion.” She muttered, giving the tom a glance. Redpaw smiled. The two were siblings, and he always loved watching them interact. They reminded him a lot of Runningpaw and Mousepaw… They really were the perfect mentor/apprentice pairs.

“Let’s get going, then.” Goldenflower meowed, waving her tail for the cats to follow. Redpaw padded after his mentor when he suddenly remembered something.

“Oh StarClan, I must’ve dropped that herb earlier.” He muttered. Runningpaw tipped his head. “We can go get it, if you’d like.” He tipped his head slightly. Redpaw smiled in return. “Yeah, that’d be a big help.” He glanced at Sparrowpelt, who nodded.

“You two can go, just get back quickly.” Goldenflower meowed, looking nervous. Redpaw turned to the bushes before slipping into them, pelting towards the clearing. The wind was picking up now- it might be gone by the time he got back. Well… He  _ might  _ remember what it looks like. Maybe. Nah, he didn’t trust his memory. Last time he had helped Spottedpaw like this was when he came back to the camp with… what was it…  _ Monkshood _ instead of Hyssop, resulting in both Featherwhisker and Spottedpaw freaking out and Spottedpaw basically slapping the herb out of his mouth.

The meadow appeared once again as Redpaw padded into it, glancing around. He gave Runningpaw a glance before sniffing at the ground- suddenly spotting a small stalk of clustered, teeny flowers blowing by.

“Oh, damn it!” He yelped, pelting after it. His paws flew over the grass and flowers as the herb flew up and through the air, drifting for a bit before falling and bouncing across the warm, black stone and falling roughly on ShadowClan’s side of the border.

“...Fuck.” Redpaw growled. Runningpaw gave him a glance before staring across the Thunderpath. Runningpaw padded over to the edge of the Thunderpath.

“Well, we could go get it-” He started before Redpaw cut him off. “I don’t want to risk starting an altercation just for the sake of one stalk of herb.” He muttered, glaring in annoyance across the Thunderpath.

Redpaw sniffed at the Thunderpath. There had to be a way to get the herb that didn’t involve running across as fast as possible and tackling it on ShadowClan’s territory. Besides, ShadowClan had been kinda testy lately- there was a brief scuffle the other day consisting of a nasty battle between Nightpelt’s and Bluefur’s patrol. He wasn’t a huge fan of ShadowClan by far- they were fairly… aromatic… he didn’t like that scent. At all.

Redpaw let out a deep sigh, staring at the Thunderpath for a moment. He winced, glancing at Runningpaw. “Well… We can’t just… Leave it there. I promised Spottedpaw I’d get herbs for her.” He sighed. He hated the idea of doing this, but it was necessary.

He gently laid a paw on the path, beginning to make his way across. He heard Runningpaw let out a tiny gasp of shock, quietly muttering for Redpaw to come back. He felt like every sound had multiplied tenfold as he moved across the black stone. The ground was still, which signified that there wasn’t a monster coming. At least, that’s what Sparrowpelt had told him.

Suddenly, the bushes on the other side of the border shivered, and Redpaw stiffened in the middle of the path. Oh damn, he couldn’t get himself to move- he was frozen, eyes wide and claws barely unsheathed. Suddenly, a large cat emerged from the bushes- an enormous, deep brown tabby with black stripes. He immediately recognized the tom… Raggedstar’s son, right? Brokenpaw? The tom let out a deep hiss of annoyance as he glared at Redpaw, teeth bared.

“What’re you doing, trying to sneak onto ShadowClan territory?” He asked, letting out a deep growl. Redpaw opened his mouth, his eyes still wide in shock. “Uh…” He managed to squeeze out. “My herbs flew across the Thunderpath.” He muttered quietly. Brokenpaw sat up, tipping his head as he glanced over Redpaw’s pelt.

“Spottedpaw, right?” He asked, seeming to back off, his tone easing slightly from its previously harsh words. His eyes were still narrowed, which made Redpaw uneasy despite the apparent calm. He shook his head. “Ah… No. I’m her littermate. She sent me to gather some Geranium.” He meowed, proud that he had remembered his mission. Brokenpaw’s eyes narrowed more. “Really, now?” He asked, tipping his head. Redpaw nodded. “The stalk’s right there.” He muttered softly, motioning with his tail to the stalk, which was now caught on some grass. He was suddenly aware that he was still on the Thunderpath, and eased towards his side of the border, still staring warily at Brokenpaw.

The large tom let out a long sigh before pushing over the flowery stalk. “There you go.” He muttered. Redpaw hastily picked it up before glancing back at Runningpaw, scrambling back over. Brokenpaw’s gaze was still slitted, his sharp amber eyes set on Redpaw’s pelt- he could tell, even if he wasn’t looking. Before he rejoined the patrol with Runningpaw, the calico glanced over his shoulder at the ShadowClanner standing across the border.

“Uh… Thanks.” He meowed loudly. The tom on the other side of the border paused, dipping his head before padding back into the bushes.

  
  



	2. the willow

Redpaw padded back into camp, several stalks of Geranium-  _ actual  _ Geranium,  _ not  _ Monkshood- in his jaws. Sparrowpelt had been kind enough to offer his assistance with carrying Redpaw’s bird, since he wanted to deliver the herbs to Spottedpaw himself. Giving Runningpaw and Mousepaw a nod of farewell, he beelined to the medicine den, once again pushing through the strings of flowering moss that were strung in front of the entrance and glancing around the sunlight-dappled den for his sister.

“Well, if it isn’t the tom himself.” He heard from the side of the den, stiffening a little. He relaxed when he recognized the voice, letting out a deep sigh. “For a ThunderClanner, you’re awfully stealthy, Spottedpaw. You sure that you aren’t secretly Yellowfang’s kit or something?” He snorted, smiling as he padded over to his sister. The ShadowClan medicine cat was somewhat of an idol to Spottedpaw- not only had she been a warrior, but she was a medicine cat, too. Spottedpaw smiled in return, shaking her head slowly.

“Just one of my favorite talents. So, you got the Geranium?” She asked, tipping her head. He nodded, and placed the stalks in front of her. The tortoiseshell sniffed at them before smiling, glancing back up at him.

“Not bad, you actually got the  _ right  _ herb for once.” Redpaw bumped her shoulder roughly, though he could see her smile. “Seriously, thanks bro.” She meowed, lifting her head to give him a warm smile. Redpaw smiled back before padding back towards the entrance. “Wait!” Spottedpaw chirped, Redpaw turning in response.

“If you and Willowpaw want to, do you want to eat together tonight?” She asked, tipping her head. Redpaw grinned. “Sounds great.” He purred, slipping outside. There wasn’t much else to do today- Sparrowpelt had hunted with him on the way back, and he already said that Redpaw’s stance and skill was increasing. Maybe he could talk Sparrowpelt into letting him go out by himself for once. After all, he was farther along than most apprentices, and was working his hardest.

He glanced over the camp before finally finding his mentor, who was talking to Bluefur. Well, he could always wait until they were done. Redpaw padded over regardless, figuring he could just sit and wait beside his mentor… that was, until he was in earshot.

“...Tawnyspots is getting worse. He’s not showing it, but I know.” Oh. This was  _ that  _ kind of conversation. Well, it would be rude to listen in, but he was concerned for the deputy… He shuffled off to the side, ears angled towards where the two were talking.

“Sunstar’s probably not going to choose Thistleclaw at this point. But, you saw how he mentored Tigerclaw… His apprentice is a warrior already, Bluefur. Yours… Isn’t.” Sparrowpelt’s voice was low, and Redpaw was straining to hear the tom.

“Brindlepaw has been a good apprentice. You know that, Sparrowpelt. She’s done fantastically compared to others her age.” Bluefur replied. Sparrowpelt shrugged. “Still, we can’t have Thistleclaw sticking around for too much longer. He’s dangerous. Even Whitestorm doesn’t trust him- His own kit.” Bluefur’s eyes lowered as she flicked her tail.

“Listening in?” Redpaw stiffened, twirling around. “O-oh hey, Patchpelt.” He muttered, eyes wide. His older brother smiled, letting out a sigh. “I know, it’s tempting to listen, but you probably shouldn’t. That’s clan business.” He sighed. “But-” “Don’t, Russetpaw.” Redpaw let out a sigh. “Alright.” He glanced away for a moment before looking back at his brother. “Could I go out by myself?”

“...If you want to. According to what Sparrowpelt’s told me, you’ve been doing great, Sprout. Just be careful and stay close.” He purred, ruffling Redpaw’s head fur. He smiled. “Thanks, Patchpelt.” Redpaw replied, his tail waving a goodbye as he pelted towards and out of the entrance.

Redpaw had just been out here, but it felt refreshing to be alone. It was just him, and the endless expanse of forest that made up ThunderClan’s territory. It felt relaxing. Redpaw found himself padding towards the ShadowClan border again, hearing odd sounds of laughter and a crunching of leaves coming from the direction he was going. Upon hearing it, he picked up his pace a bit, his ears pricking as he neared the flower-filled field. He could have  _ sworn  _ he heard someone-

Oh. Brokenpaw. The large tom was rolling around in the field- nothing he would have thought a ShadowClanner would do. He flicked an ear, lowering himself a bit farther into the bush. Maybe he could scare the tom away, or something like that? There had to be a way to get him out of here. Chasing a ShadowClanner out of ThunderClan territory seemed like it’d be a good way to get him a bit closer to warriorship. But, a diplomatic option seemed better, at least to him. He didn’t want to be a jerk. Maybe he could just ask Brokenpaw to leave? Hopefully it wouldn’t take a ton of-

“Well, hello again.” Redpaw stiffened as he glanced up, coming face-to-face with the tufty, long-furred tom. Ah, shit.

“What’re you doing on ThunderClan territory?” Redpaw asked, his head tipping. Brokenpaw stared coolly back, flicking an ear. Oof, that made Redpaw uneasy.

“Just relaxing.” He replied smoothly. “It’s nice outside.” He yawned, strolling casually back to the center of the field and flopping down onto his back. Redpaw followed awkwardly, staring down at the tom.

“So, what’s your name? I’m assuming you know who I am, considering my lineage?” Brokenpaw asked, head tipping slightly. Redpaw nodded slowly, opening his mouth before he could really consider his answer.

“I’m Redpaw.” He answered. Brokenpaw stared at him, tipping his head ever so slightly. “Well, that’s accurate.” He yawned, stretching out in the grass. Redpaw stared for a moment longer before awkwardly sitting next to the tom, still staring down at him. The duo stayed silent for a few moments before Brokenpaw spoke up again.

“So, how long have you been an apprentice?” He asked, head tipping ever so slightly. Redpaw glanced back. So this was a casual conversation now? He felt awkward.

“Two moons.” He replied. He had just become eight moons a quarter-moon ago. “You?” He asked, eyes wide as he stared at Brokenpaw.

“Five.” He meowed briefly. “Same with my siblings.” Redpaw tipped his head. Brokenpaw had siblings? Word had it that he was an only kit, found in ShadowClan territory by Yellowfang.

“I know what you’re thinking. They’re adopted. They were foxhearts at first, but they stopped when we became apprentices. I actually managed to salvage a lot of my relationship with them.” He smiled at Redpaw. Redpaw could barely imagine Spottedpaw or Willowpaw teasing him for any reason… To think that Brokenpaw’s siblings had been that cruel was sad.

“I’m glad they’re treating you better.” Redpaw replied. “I couldn’t imagine Spottedpaw or Willowpaw doing that.” He muttered, glancing at Brokenpaw sympathetically. He still felt awkward about the tom being here, but that was alright.

“What’s it like in ThunderClan?” Brokenpaw asked. Redpaw glanced over awkwardly, still mentally willing the tom to go away. How long would it take?

“Are you just going to lay here?” Redpaw finally asked, brushing aside the tom’s last question. “You’re not even supposed to be here.” He flicked an ear, glancing away awkwardly before looking back at the tom. Brokenpaw shrugged.

“I’m comfortable, that’s really what matters. It’s not like you can chase me off, anyway.” Redpaw let out a snort.

“That’s what  _ you  _ think. You don’t know if I can or can’t.” Redpaw meowed, slightly lifting an eyebrow. Brokenpaw just let out a chuckle, flicking his kinked tail.

“I’ve got three moons on you, and I’m nearly two heads taller than you. I don’t think you’re gonna get me to leave without my consent.” Brokenpaw snorted, smiling slyly at Redpaw. Redpaw sighed. He was right, he knew it. He could still say it.

“I wasn’t intending on fighting you off, anyway. I’m not a violent cat.” He meowed, staring off towards ShadowClan. Brokenpaw tipped his head.

“Hm? That’s not very usual in ThunderClan.” He stated, squinting at Redpaw. Redpaw glanced back at him. The tom had been talking to him for a while… Redpaw wondered what he was thinking. He wasn’t especially interesting, and the tom was the kit of ShadowClan’s leader. Not to mention, he seemed pretty ill-tempered when Redpaw talked to him earlier.

“Guess I’m not a very usual cat.” Redpaw shrugged. He really wasn’t, anyway. Brokenpaw sat up, raising his eyebrows.

“Then we’re in the same clan, at least when it comes to that.” The tom stated. The two stared at the clouds before a question slipped its way into Redpaw’s head.

“Hey, how come you were so hostile before, but now you’re just calmly talking to me?” Redpaw asked. He had a feeling he knew the answer- after all, the tom was on his own territory before, and seemed adamant about his duties as an apprentice. But now, he was on a different cat’s territory. He probably didn’t want to get into trouble.

“Eh, you seemed kinda alright before. And I guess I thought you’d know what I feel like. I mean, being different.” A pit settled in Redpaw’s stomach. Did that mean he knew…?

“What does  _ that  _ mean?” He blurted out before he could help himself, his lip curling slightly. Brokenpaw stared at him for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah. You smell more like a tom, but you’re a tortoiseshell.” Brokenpaw shrugged. “Honestly, if you say you’re a tom, you’re a tom. You shouldn’t have to prove that to anyone.” He meowed. He glanced at Redpaw’s expression, immediately looking away. “Oh, that was mousebrained of me to say in the first place. Uh… Sorry for bringing it up.” Brokenpaw sniffed, looking a bit out of place and awkward for a moment.

“It’s alright. Thanks for apologizing.” Redpaw meowed seriously. He was glad that Brokenpaw apologized, at least, and he wasn’t barraging him with questions. So, in Redpaw’s book, he was fine. Even if he had just pointed it out. Redpaw felt a bit awkward, but brushed it off in favor of gratitude for Brokenpaw not being a nosy piece of foxdung.

“So, what’s going on in ThunderClan?” Brokenpaw quickly changed the subject, glancing at Redpaw. He shrugged in return.

“Not much,”  _ Apparently a lot _ . Bluefur and Sparrowpelt’s conversation was weighing on him- Thistleclaw had always creeped him out, especially with him obviously trying to manipulate Spottedpaw. For a short time, he thought that the older tom would convince her to be a warrior apprentice, and manipulate her like he did Tigerclaw. Sure, he didn’t know much about it, but he saw the scrapes Tigerclaw had when he padded into camp as an apprentice. And he had seen how controlling Thistleclaw looked when he was ordering the younger tom around. He didn’t want that for Spottedpaw. He was glad she was alright- at least for now.

But Thistleclaw? Was he really doing something like that? Redpaw didn’t doubt it. It wouldn’t be surprising if he did, especially with how he seemed to lust after being deputy. He kind of felt sorry for Whitestorm. What if the tom was getting dragged along with his father’s plans? Whitestorm always seemed like a nice cat.

“Redpaw?” Redpaw shook himself out of his thoughts, glancing at Brokenpaw. “You alright?” Redpaw hummed, then nodded.

“A lot’s been going on. I guess one thing is that my brother’s kit, Longpaw, got apprenticed a little while ago.” He hummed. Brokenpaw let out a snicker.

“Longpaw? Where’d that come from?” He chuckled, grinning at Redpaw. Redpaw shook his head, smiling back.

“Probably the same place Runningpaw came from.” The calico joked, smiling. “But seriously, his tail is long. That’s the entire story behind his name.” He hummed.

“Runningpaw? My brother’s name is Runningpaw. He’s Yellowfang’s apprentice.” Brokenpaw’s tail flicked as he stretched out again. Huh. A Runningpaw duo.

“They should meet each other.” Redpaw smiled. “I know our Runningpaw would appreciate it. He’s got that kind of sense of humor.” The calico let out a quiet laugh before staring at the thunderpath.

“...So you just came over here to… Relax? You don’t have anywhere like this on your territory?” Redpaw asked. It seemed that he had gone through quite a bit of trouble getting to ThunderClan territory. Crossing the thunderpath and sneaking out of camp without his mentor seemed risky by itself- not to mention he could have been caught by a ThunderClan patrol. It made no sense as to why he’d risk all of that just to sit in a flower patch.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Brokenpaw replied, rubbing at his eyes. “The cats in camp used to tease me pretty badly. I just wanted to get away, and this is one of the places I come to, sometimes.” The larger tom let out a deep sigh. Redpaw’s gaze slid to Brokenpaw’s face for a moment. He hadn’t taken him as that kind of cat.

“Huh. Alright, then.” Redpaw replied simply, settling down farther into the flowers and staring out towards ShadowClan territory.

. . .

It was nearing sundown when Redpaw returned to the clan with two birds, padding inside to find Willowpaw and Spottedpaw waiting for him. Crap… He had forgotten completely that they wanted to have a meal with him for once. He padded over, dropping the birds in the pile before plopping down beside Spottedpaw.

“Russetpaw, what took you so long? I was really worried…” Willowpaw stared at him nervously, and he immediately felt terrible for having them wait so long for him.

“I just got… occupied. I’m sorry.” He muttered, glancing at her with a sorry expression on his face. Willowpaw took a deep breath, sighing.

“You need to stop overworking yourself, you’re gonna get yourself hurt eventually.” Willowpaw meowed, looking concerned. She was right- he had been overworking himself, not to mention, he hadn’t seen her lately. Redpaw let out a quiet sigh of his own.

“I’ll be more careful, don’t worry.” He managed as he snagged a bird from the pile, yanking it towards in and beginning to strip the feathers, setting them aside for use in his nest later. Willowpaw raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t think you will, and that scares me, Russetpaw. You need to loosen up a little, at least take a day off or something. I talk to Poppydawn about taking easy days ever so often, but you’re always on dawn patrol, evening patrol, every patrol, ever…” The tortoiseshell trailed off for a moment. “Anyway, I’m worried.” She muttered.

“Okay, Willowpaw.” He meowed, his golden-amber eyes set on his prey as he finished up stripping feathers. “Why don’t we all hang out tomorrow, then?” He asked, glancing at his sisters. Spottedpaw smiled.

“That sounds like a great idea.” She purred, glancing at Willowpaw. “I know that Sparrowpelt will let Russetpaw relax, with as much work as she’s been doing, but what about you, Willowpaw?” Redpaw winced slightly at her words, glancing at her for a moment and making brief eye contact, a rash thought going through his mind.

“Can we go to the medicine den for a moment?” Redpaw asked quietly. Spottedpaw’s eyes widened, but she nodded. “...Willowpaw, come on.” Redpaw meowed quickly, grabbing his bird and bolting towards the leafy den. Willowpaw gave Spottedpaw a look of confusion, but quickly followed.

Redpaw sat in the middle of the den, glad that Featherwhisker and Goosefeather had gone out to the sunningrocks to rest in the evening sun. Spottedpaw sat beside Redpaw, her tail tip on his back as he shifted away. _ I didn’t think this would be so scary.  _ He thought, glancing at his paws for a moment before looking back up at his very confused tortoiseshell sister. He took a deep breath, then sighed.

“I’m not a she-cat, Willowpaw. I’m a tom.” He managed to mutter. “I’m going by Redpaw now.” He stated seriously. His heart was racing, and his head felt fuzzy, but he didn’t pay attention to that- just the overwhelming anxiety in his gut. Hopefully, she was fine with it. She seemed like she would be. As sudden as this was, it seemed like the time was right to him.

“Oh.” Willowpaw meowed, tipping her head. She seemed to think for a moment- Redpaw’s heart was racing, and he felt as though he was shivering. He felt Spottedpaw’s pelt pressed against his, his fur fluffed up and his golden gaze cast towards his paws.

“Okay, Redpaw!” She finally chirped, padding closer and brushing against her brother. “That makes a lotta sense to me, I never got a she-cat vibe from you.” She meowed, smiling at him. He sniffled, glancing at his paws, despite Willowpaw licking at his shoulder.

“...Thanks, Willowpaw.” He meowed softly. “Just… Both of you,, it’s important to say this. You… You can’t use my name in front of our clanmates. I’m not ready for the entire clan to know who I am yet.” He muttered. Spottedpaw and Willowpaw both nodded.

“I’d rather be out on my own terms.” Both of them nodded seriously, Willowpaw smiling at Redpaw softly as she padded closer, brushing against him again.

“Look, Redpaw, I’m super proud of you for trusting me enough to tell me.” Willowpaw meowed. He had a feeling she might be a bit upset about him obviously telling Spottedpaw first, but he was somewhat surprised at her cheery expression.  _ I wasn’t expecting that from her… Maybe she  _ has  _ grown up since when we were kits _ .

“Anyways, I’ve got to head to bed if we’re going to go out tomorrow.” Willowpaw finally meowed, stepping away to pad towards the door. “I’m so excited, just my sister, my brother, and I just chillin’ on the sunningrocks.” She purred. Redpaw felt his heart swell- he had missed her optimism ever since they were kits. It was nice to hear it again.

“So, see you all tomorrow?”

“Yep. See you tomorrow, Redpaw. Sleep well.”

  
  



End file.
